There are several situations where it is desirable to have a support surface temporarily formed in front of a seat or chair to allow for placement of objects thereon, that also is collapsible or may be otherwise moved out of its in-use position to a stowed position, e.g., to allow for passage of people in front of the seat or chair.
For example, it is known in the art that armchairs are equipped with lecterns or small boards incorporated at the side or on the armrest so that the lectern or board may be swiveled to an in-use position or folded in a stowed position. In this regard, U.S. Pat. No. 7,635,160 describes an armchair and table for conference halls that includes a backrest that can be lowered over a seat in combination with movement of a table board that can swivel between a stowed position and an in-use position. The board is on a column, with a variable height, that is fastened to the armchair by a ball joint anchor. The column allows the board to be positioned at a height useful for a desk.
As another example, various food and beverage holders have been developed to attach to the back of a chair of the type often found in a sports stadium, and provide surface area to support one or more items such as food or beverage. In this regard, U.S. Pat. No. 7,341,005 describes a tray for supporting items such as food or beverage in a substantially horizontal position relative to a stadium seat. A retaining flange is coupled to the tray and integrated with an existing stadium seat such that the tray may retain items in a fixed relationship with a stadium seat situated rearward of the stadium seat to which the tray is attached.
As another example, various tables for a motor vehicle seat are known, typically including a plate-shaped table attached to the back of a motor vehicle seat by attaching means or supporting means. U.S. Pat. No. 6,830,292 describes a table supporting device having a loop at an upper end. The loop is the supporting device which is removably hung on the headrest of the motor vehicle seat so that the supporting device is positioned substantially vertically. A plate-shaped table has a table holding mechanism that holds the table vertically rotatable by means of a horizontal shaft. The table holding mechanism has a vertical hole having a larger diameter than the table supporting device. The table supporting device passes through the vertical hole of the table holding mechanism. A vertical bolt threadedly engages with the table holding mechanism to maintain the table at a desired angle.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,909 discloses a table assembly swingably supported from the rear of a supporting member. A hook enables hanging of objects from the table and is situated so as to hang below a hole in the table when the table is in an in-use position, and to be automatically stored within said hole when the table is in a stowed position.
Yet another example of a table assembly for a vehicle is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,060. This table assembly includes a table pivotably connected to a frame, two bars retractably fastened to the frame, and lock screws threaded into screw holes on the frame for locking the retractable bars at a desired elevation. Each retractable bar has a top end that terminates in a swivel hook for mounting on the head rest of a car seat. The table has recessed top compartments covered by a sliding cover for storage, and collapsible stands at the bottom for supporting the foldaway table on the ground if it is removed from the car seat.
Still another example of a table assembly for a vehicle is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,209. The table assembly is attached to a vehicle passenger seat including a seat bottom, seat back and seat frame. The table assembly includes a tray table, a pair of legs on which the tray table is mounted. The legs include first and second extensions projecting outwardly from the end of the pair of legs remote from the tray table and define respective stud-receiving recesses between the first and second extensions. A seat back pivot mounts the seat back on the seat frame for movement between a seating position with the seat back substantially upright and substantially perpendicular to the seat bottom and a break back position with the seat back forward and substantially parallel to the seat bottom. A tray table pivot is carried on the seat frame and includes first and second pivot studs positioned on respective sides of the seat frame for being received in the stud receiving recesses of the tray table legs.
Another example of a table assembly for a vehicle is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,511,178. The assembly permits the table to be quickly removed and replaced by persons without the use of tools. Small studs on each side of the seat pivotally support apertures in the lower ends of the tray table legs. The legs may be deflected toward each other to release their mounting engagement with the studs.